


Under a Twilight Sky

by Just_Roman_Around



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 03:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20614544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_Roman_Around/pseuds/Just_Roman_Around
Summary: The world was a wasteland.The endless expanse of nothingness was bathed in an eternal twilight, the sun ever setting in the west, even as the moon was ever rising in the east, forever trapped still in the heavens. Nothing lived in the ash-grey deserts of this plane of existence.And then Weiss Schnee fell from the heavens.(A piece requested from a good friend.)





	Under a Twilight Sky

The world was a wasteland.

The endless expanse of nothingness was bathed in an eternal twilight, the sun ever setting in the west, even as the moon was ever rising in the east, forever trapped still in the heavens. Nothing lived in the ash-grey deserts of this plane of existence, for nothing could survive the lifeless environment. Equally, however, nothing that made its way here could die.

Everything was still, silent as the grave.

Then something changed. A gentle breeze began to blow across the dust like sand, gently caressing it and causing it to swirl. In the vast, open sky, clouds began to form, circling the small tornadoes of sand as they coalesced, forming something large. The mass grew until it threatened to swallow the trapped celestial entities.

Until a resplendent white light split the cloud mass apart, striking the centre. The light, with an utterly alien sentience, gathered the sand below it into a cushion. And from this phenomenon, Weiss Schnee fell from the heavens.

\---- \---- \---- \---- \----

Weiss landed with a soft thud onto the ground, her unconscious form sinking into the sand as the storm above dispersed. She stayed this way for several minutes, her body unmoving, unbreathing. By all definitions, Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, was dead. The breeze danced around her mournfully, gently caressing her features, until her eyes shot wide open. Gasping for air, she quickly sat up and clutched her chest as pain spread throughout her body.

Looking down, she found the front of her beautiful ice white dress stained with blood, and from the intense pain burning within her she soon figured out it was her own. “Wha… What happened to me?” She was answered with utter silence, the world around her devoid of any life, until the flapping of fabric drew attention to behind her. Turning to look at the source, she quickly stood up in shock upon seeing another person there. Their features were obscured by the long, tattered red cloak they wore, hood pulled up over their eyes. Weiss couldn’t help but notice that the cape fluttered in the wind, a wind that was no longer blowing. “Who are you? Where are we?” The figure remained silent and still. “Why am I here?”

The figure shook its head, and lifted an arm, pointing to the space on the ground between them. Weiss watched as an arc of lightning was summoned from the sky, striking right at where the mysterious stranger was pointing, and a golden tear in reality began to open. It shimmered with unnatural light, whispering to her as it opened. Once it was fully formed, the stranger gestured Weiss forward.

Weiss remained still for a moment, sense warning her to be cautious, before she gingerly began stepping forward, carefully raising a hand towards the wound in reality. Looking to the cloaked individual, who only nodded their approval, she took a deep breath and touched the tear. Instantly she was bathed in a white light, and she began to remember.

_ Explosions wracked the building, the fires growing ever higher, and amidst the flame and rubble, Weiss stood defiantly before the one responsible for the death and chaos. She could hear the screams of those unable to escape the wrath of the White Fang. A look of disdain spread across her face as she looked at the bull faunus opposite her. “Are you happy now?” She gestured to the bodies around them, both human and faunus casualties. “Does all of this death satisfy your anger?” The man remained silent, a cruel smirk on his face. She couldn’t help but sneer in disgust, then looked to the raven-haired cat faunus at his side. “How much more innocent blood until this crusade of hatred ends?” _

_ The man tightened his grip on his gun, raising it to point at her chest, much to the surprise of his companion. “Only when all of humanity knows our pain. Only when every human looks upon us in fear and respect. Only when the last Schnee lies at my feet, either as a pet or a corpse, will this finally end.” Her blood ran cold with each oily word that dripped from his poisonous tongue. “So, Princess. Pet, or corpse?” _

_ “Adam…” _

_ “Quiet, Blake. Let the ice bitch make her choice.” _

_ “This is wrong….” Blake looked between them, distressed. _

_ Weiss took a deep breath, standing to her full height as she stared down Adam. “May the Maidens give you forgiveness, for you’ll never find it in life.”  _

_ Adam’s smirk grew into a full smile, teeth bared in silent triumph. “Corpse then.” A crack rang out, pain exploding in Weiss’s chest as she fell… _

Weiss fell out of the memory gasping for breath and clawing at her chest in pain and panic. The figure watched as she slowly calmed down and realized the wound was no longer there, nor was the blood staining her dress. Looking up, Weiss struggled to find her voice as she attempted to speak. “I… I… I’m dead?”

The figure nodded, then looked up to the sky. Clouds had begun to form again, once more creating a darkness in the land of twilight. “You will be joined soon, then your journey begins.” Their voice was feminine, and young.

“Joined? By whom?” Weiss looked up at the sky in astonishment, unable to comprehend the size of the cloud mass. As the brilliant white light struck forth again, she was forced to shield her eyes from its intensity. When she could finally see again, the figure next to her had vanished into the aether, and someone else was lying in the sand. She cautiously approached the body, and gasped in shock upon discovering none other than Blake Belladonna lying dead in the sand, just as she had been not too long ago. Blood stained the woman’s forehead and knees.

Then, with a pained cry, Blake woke up. Curling into a ball she sobbed violently, convulsing with pain. Weiss could only watch, carefully approaching the injured woman. Eventually the sobbing died down, and the faunus finally took note of where she was. Turning slowly, she locked eyes with the ex-heiress and tried to scramble away. “W-who are you!?”

Weiss raised an eyebrow, cautiously holding out a hand. “You...you don’t remember?" Blake shook her head slowly as she tentatively took the offered hand, wincing at the pain it took to stand with injured knees. “Do you remember who did this to you, who you are?”

“I…. No. No I don’t. I think it was someone I trusted. It’s all fuzzy.”

Recalling her own sense of confusion when she woke up, Weiss turned to the tear in reality, still whispering to her. “I think that I know how to help.” Helping Blake limp over to the golden light, she gently bit her lip in thought. 

“What is it?”

“I’m uncertain, but it showed me who I was, why I’m here. I think it’ll do the same for you. All you need to do is touch it.” They hesitated in front of the shimmering light, Blake looking nervous. “Go on, trust me.” Nodding, the faunus slowly reached out, and both of them were sucked into the memory.

_ Blake watched in horror as Weiss’s lifeless body hit the floor, a gasp escaping her as her gaze shot over to Adam. His features, that once appeared so noble to her, now revealed the monster beneath as his smile shifted to one of sadistic delight, his body convulsing with manic laughter. Carefully, she backed away to distance herself from him. “Did you mean all of that? Everything you said?” _

_ Adam’s laughter fell silent as he turned towards her. “Yes, my love. I mean every word.” _

_ “Adam...that’s wrong. All of that, was wrong. We’re meant to be better.” _

_ “We are better, Blake. Any one of us is worth ten of them. Why shouldn’t we make them suffer as we have?” _

_ Blake continued to back away, shaking her head as fear gripped her heart. “We’re not meant to be cruel. There are good humans who don’t deserve that. This has gone too far.” She turned to flee from him, then fell over screaming in pain as a bullet tore through her left knee. _

_ “You can’t leave me now, my love. We’ve come so far. We’re so close!”  _

_ “To what?!” Blake asked through her tears, using her good leg to help her crawl away. “To being exactly what we’re fighting against?!” Adam snarled, and shot her through her other knee, eliciting another agonized scream. “You...you won’t get away with this…” _

_ “Oh Blake, I’m disappointed.” Adam placed the gun against her head, forcing her to look up on. A frown formed on his lips as he tutted. “Now instead of ruling by my side, you’ll just be another martyr for our cause.” He pulled the trigger and then…. _

Both women tumbled backwards, Blake howling in pain, holding a non-existent wound in her head as the phantom pain wracked through her body. Weiss lay still, catching her breath from the intensity of Adam’s hatred and recovering from the shock at how lost he truly was. Slowly she sat up, shaking her head, before moving to comfort her companion in this purgatory. Taking ahold of Blake’s scrambling hands, she pulled the woman close. “Hey. Hey! It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“How! How is this okay?” Blake looked up with tears streaming down her face. “He killed you. Killed me! How are we even here? Where are we?” 

Weiss opened her mouth to reply, but something out of the corner of her eye distracted her. The golden tear had closed itself, and several flashes of light went off in the distance. “I don’t know where we are...but as for why we're here, I think we follow those.” Helping the faunus stand, she pointed towards the lights.

\---- \---- \---- \---- \----

  
  


Weiss and Blake had spent what felt like an hour trudging through the shifting sand in near silence. Hundreds of questions raced through Weiss’s head, though apprehension prevented her from giving them voice. Looking out of the corner of her eye she carefully watched her companion. Amber eyes were puffy and red, tear stains running down sand-caked cheeks. Blake kept her gaze downwards as she held herself and followed behind Weiss.

_‘I can hardly blame her,’_ she thought to herself. ‘I can barely believe it myself.’ Glancing up at the twilight sky, she looked between the two celestial entities that bore witness to their travels. _‘Both of us trapped here after our apparent deaths. I wonder if this…’_

“Do you think we’re in Hell?” Blake asked, snapping Weiss out of her introspection and giving voice to one of the many questions raging in her mind. She stopped, turning to face the faunus with a small frown on her lips. “I mean, look at this place. It’s a desolate wasteland. Do you think this is our punishment?” Blake continued.

Weiss considered her words carefully before finally answering her companion. “I don’t know. I don’t think this is a punishment, but the only one who could tell us disappeared before you arrived.” 

“There’s someone else here?” 

“Yes. Well, some _ thing _ else at least.” She shrugged as she turned back to look towards their destination. Just beyond the next sand dune she could see a soft light emanating from some unknown source. ‘ _ Most likely another one of those tears _ ’ she thought, though curiously it was a silver light rather than gold. Taking another glance at the faunus who was nervously following her, she resumed her trek up the dune. 

“Can I ask you something, Miss Schnee?” 

“Please, call me Weiss. Not really a need for formalities anymore.” 

“Right. Well, Weiss. Why did you help me back there?” 

Weiss stopped once more, letting Blake catch up to her side. Looking at the other curiously, she noticed that her feline ears were twitching nervously while waiting for a response. “Why wouldn’t I help you? We’re in this together.” 

“I’m a faunus. More than that, your family considers me a terrorist. I’ve committed countless acts of property damage against the Schnee Dust Company. Your family hates me.” 

“I don’t hate you though.” 

“But I caused your death!” Blake’s voice echoed across the lifeless land, the volume of her shout causing some sand to start gently cascading down the dune around them. Tears once more welled in the faunus’s yellow eyes, creating an unfamiliar feeling that raced through Weiss’s heart. 

Silently moving closer to her, the white-haired woman couldn’t help but notice how the other flinched when she slowly raised her hand, a fact that broke her on the inside. She hesitated a moment, before gently placing the palm of her hand on Blake’s cheek, using her thumb to gently wipe away her tears. “I’m not my family, Blake.” She felt Blake tense as she spoke, her eyes looking into her own blue ones as if searching for falsehood. “I’m not them. And you didn’t cause my death. I don’t hate you.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because it was Adam who pulled the trigger. It was I who goaded him. All you could do was watch in horror. I saw the memory too. It wasn’t your fault.” She gently caressed Blake’s cheek, and the faunus’s eyes closed as she started to lean into the comforting touch. Once more that unfamiliar feeling raced through Weiss’s being, and she could hear her own heart pounding loudly in her chest. 

However, it was only for a moment, before Blake’s eyes shot open and she backed away from the touch with a blush on her face. “We, uh.” Clearing her throat and trying to hide her blush by looking away, she attempted to regain her composure. “We should keep on going, right?” 

“Yes...quite.” Weiss’ felt her own cheeks flush with heat, and looked away back to the soft glow coming from over the ridge. “I think we’re close.” Both stood utterly still for another minute in awkward silence, before Weiss took a deep breath and began to trudge up the sand dune once more. Blake was quick to follow her, and when they reached the top they both beheld the source of the light. 

Another tear in reality awaited this time, though it was smaller than the previous one, and a warm silver rather than the brilliant gold of the last one. They could both hear the whispers that flowed out from it, though neither could discern whether the voices were masculine or feminine, nor if they sounded familiar. Looking to each other, they both shrugged and began to carefully make their way down the other side of the dune and towards the light. “So, whose memory do you think this is?” Weiss asked. “Yours, or mine?” 

“Why wouldn’t it be both of ours again? From what you said, the last one showed us both a memory.” 

“That one was larger, and golden. This one is…” 

“Silver.” Blake stopped walking, raising a hand to her chin as she thought aloud. “I wonder what the point of all of this is. If we’re dead, why drop us both here?” 

Weiss shrugged as she neared the tear. “I don’t know, but I’m glad I'm not doing this alone.” Turning back, she smiled softly up at Blake, whose cheeks were slightly tinged at the sight.

Smiling back, the faunus shook her head and quickly slid to join Weiss’s side. “So am I. Well, together then?” She offered a hand out for Weiss, who quickly took it with a smile.

“Together, let’s find out what we’re meant to see.” Both raised their free hands together, and touched the tear in reality.

_ It was the middle of the Atlesian Summer, and Weiss was sitting at one of the public library’s computers, carefully combing through every news article she could find online about the Schnee Dust Company, her father’s company. She was compiling as much information as she could, gathering evidence. She was even exploring the less reputable news sources, and those regarded as crackpots, so she could get as big of a picture as she could. She was hunting for the truth. _

_ And the bigger the picture grew, the more her blood ran cold with disgust. _

_ Her zealous search had begun shortly after hearing about another attack perpetrated by the White Fang on the radio. The presenter was interviewing the group’s former leader, Ghira Belladonna. Closing her eyes, she heard his words ring in her head again, clear as day. “I find the Schnee Dust Company immoral and cruel. It is hardly a secret that Jacques Schnee’s treatment of the faunus workforce is barely legal. He treats my brother and sisters as slave labour, assigning us the most dangerous jobs, sending us to the mining camps. It is for this reason I first formed the White Fang, to protest peacefully. And though it seemed to work, with the world’s governments acquiescing and giving us a homeland, Menagerie, it was that vile man’s influence than ensured it went no further. It was then that the White Fang carried on without me, and I don’t condone the violence being perpetrated by Sienna and the others, but it is how they think they must be heard. It’ll never end until Mr. Schnee steps down, or begins to treat us as equals. And, if I may make a personal plea, If you are listening to this Blake, please come home. This isn’t the way, and your mother and I miss you so much.” _

_ That was the first Weiss Schnee had heard about how the faunus were truly being treated by her father, and every bit of evidence she found was slowly starting to prove the claims true. And, much like the man she had heard on the radio, she could not condone this. Printing off the most trustworthy news articles and pictures, she gathered her evidence and headed home.  _

_ Ignoring the guards at the gate, she stormed through the many cold and empty halls of the Schnee Mansion, stopping when her progress was hindered by her brother’s sudden appearance, seemingly manifesting out of the aether as he blocked her path. “My my, Dear Sister. You certainly are in a rush, aren’t you?” A calculated smirk formed on his perfectly neutral face, something he had spent years practicing. _

_ Weiss grit her teeth, but ignored her brother’s irritating smile. “I don’t have time to play your games, Whitley.” She attempted to brush past him, but his hand grasped onto her wrist before she could get very far. _

_ “Father won’t have time for you. You are aware of that, correct?” _

_ Whirling around, her teeth clenched as she looked at her brother with a glare strong enough to make braver men than him quiver and turn tail as she struggled to contain her fury. “Dear Brother of mine. I suggest you let me go, or else you’ll find yourself eating through a straw as you spend the next three years attempting to fix your shattered teeth. Am I understood?”  _

_ Quickly letting go of her, Weiss watched as his neutral facade broke and fear was etched across his face. Attempting to regain his composure, he hid a small cough behind his fist as he turned around and tried to nonchalantly walk away, though there was no mistaking the haste in his steps. Satisfied that he wouldn’t bother her again, Weiss resumed her path towards her father, hesitating only when she finally reached his door.  _

_ Lifting a hand, her breath hitched slightly, before releasing it slowly as she steeled her nerves, knocking on the mahogany door. She waited a few seconds in nerve wracking silence before she finally heard her father’s voice from the other side. “Enter.”  _

_ Slowly opening the door, Weiss entered the extravagant office of Jacques Schnee. Once she had thought the pieces of art and displays of wealth were beautiful and well earned. Now she could only imagine each piece stained with innocent blood. “Father, I wish to discuss something with you.” _

_ “And what, pray tell, is so important that you couldn’t wait until later, when I wasn't busy?” The corporate tyrant barely looked up at his daughter as she approached.  _

_ Weiss took a deep breath, and threw the evidence she had collected onto his desk, staring down at him. “How about your illegal and cruel treatment of the faunus who work for you.”  _

_ Jacques scoffed, lazily scanning through the articles thrown at him, a small smirk on his face. “I think you’ll find, Daughter, than I am breaking no laws. The mongrels desired jobs, so I gave them jobs. Now they cry I am cruel when truly I am merciful for even hiring them.”  _

_ Weiss’s blood ran cold with the callous nature she heard her father speak. “That’s… These are living beings. You pay them pennies, they live in squalor and deaths are high due to low work regulations and safety. You are directly responsible for the rise of the White Fang!”  _

_ Jacques cool, collected, smile vanished as he slowly stood, gathering the papers Weiss has thrown at him, ripping them in half. “Those…. violent….. animals, are responsible for their own fate. They forget their place.”  _

_ “And what is their place, Father?” Disgust filled Weiss as she was forced to listen to every venomously hate filled word her father spoke. _

_ “At our feet, cleaning our boots. They are all below us, Weiss. Never forget that. They wanted their own homeland, so we gave them Menagerie, and they were unhappy with that. So now they turn to violence, like the animals they are.”  _

_ “They’re not animals. They’re people! And they deserve better! This needs to change or else I’ll…” Weiss never got to finish her statement, as her father backhanded her across the face, sending her falling to the floor. _

_ “It looks like you need to learn your place as well, Daughter.” Jacques loomed over her, malice clear in his eyes as Weiss looked up in fear. “And believe me, I will teach you just like I teach those animals.”  _

Both fell out of the memory, gasping. Weiss was kneeling on the sand, holding the left side of her face as she relived the pain of her punishment. Tears welled in her eyes as she tentatively touched around her left eye. Leaning backwards until she was finally sitting, she turned to look up at Blake, who was watching her with concern. Gulping, Weiss lowered her hand to reveal a bright, fresh, scar over her left eye. “That was the day my father gave me this scar. As a reminder to stay in line, that disobedience would not be tolerated, even from flesh and blood.” 

Blake covered her mouth in horror. She knew all about the scar, she had seen it when they first met, both in life, and in this wasteland of a purgatory. But it had been dull, ancient. Now, after the reliving of the memory, it was brand new. “Weiss… By the Maidens...”

“I hated him then.” Weiss continued, eyes glazing over as she stared off into the distance. “How could someone I had looked up to, all my life, be so cruel? I didn’t blame the White Fang for their violence. I knew as long as my father was in charge, as long as he was full of hate, then he would be answered with hate.” Sniffing, she tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes, but to no avail as only more streamed down her face. 

Blake stood still for a moment, before rushing forward to pull the broken hearted woman into an embrace. Weiss stiffened in her grasp, before returning the embrace and burying her face into Blake’s neck, as her whole body shook with the sobs running through her. The faunus gently rubbed her back, whispering soft nothings to her as she processed what she had seen. “Shhhh… It’s okay Weiss… now I know what you didn’t hate me. You tried to help us, didn’t you? Even after your father hurt you.” Unable to respond vocally, Weiss nodded. “Thank you… I wish I had known. Maybe I could have prevented all of this.” 

Weiss pulled away from the hug, looking into Blake’s amber eyes, and shaking her head. “I wish I could have done more…. And, I wish I had met you before this. In better circumstances.” 

Blake nodded, gently using her thumb to wipe away Weiss’s tears, mirroring the actions the human had done for her not too long ago. “Do... Do you think we could have been friends?” 

“I don’t see why we still can’t. Maybe that’s why we’re both here?” 

Blake nodded again, watching as all the energy left Weiss, and the way she leaned into her touch. “We should rest, before we continue. Come, lay your head here and sleep.” patting her lap, she gently coaxed Weiss into lying down and resting her head on her thighs. 

“But…”

“No buts. We’ll continue our journey when you wake up.” 

Weiss frowned, but was unable to keep her eyes open. “....okay.” Blake couldn’t help but smile as her companion quickly fell asleep. Gently moving hair off of Weiss’s features, she was unable to do anything else but marvel at how beautiful and peaceful she seemed while sleeping. A small blush formed on her features as she watched over her. “Maybe… Maybe that is why we’re both here.” 

\---- \---- \---- \---- \----

Beneath the eternal twilight sky of the personal afterlife of Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna, a mysterious figure watched protectively over them.

As their tattered red cloak billowed around them in a non existent wind, they couldn’t help but smile as they watched Weiss rest her head against Blake’s thighs and quickly fall into a slumber. Nor did the way Blake’s heart quickened escape her notice. Hearing the sand crunch behind her, marking the presence of another, a small, innocent chuckle escaped her lips. “Coming to check on our charges, O’ Joyous Sun?” 

“Can you blame me, Youthful Reaper?” A happy laugh emanated from the second mysterious figure as they came to stand next to the reaper. Their hair was a golden mane, and they were resplendent to look upon as the avatar of the sun. “How do they fare in their trials?” 

“Quite well. It will not be easy for them, for their memories are full of pain. But their souls cannot resist the call of the other. Look,” Pointing to where the two departed souls were resting, she continued. “Already they gravitate closer to one another.” 

“Well, that’s adorable quite frankly.” 

“Agreed.” Both the ancient entities smiled at viewing them. 

“How did they die, sister?” 

The reaper sighed, shaking her head. “Painfully. Definitely. In another age it would have been honourable. But ultimately, too young. Before they could reach their potential.” 

The avatar of the sun nodded solemnly at the information, both falling into a comfortable silence as they watched. “What will happen to them now?” 

“They’ll continue. They’ll learn more of each other, and eventually, they’ll be given a new chance at life.” 

The sun smiled kindly, placing a hand on the reaper’s shoulder. “Look after them. I shall converse with Solemn Moon, and prepare the gate for them to pass through.” As the being spoke, their form slowly began to break apart into motes of light. 

“Of course I will, sister. I always look after my charges.” The reaper watched as her sister vanished from sight, slowly floating back to join the majority of her celestial body, trapped in the sky above. She turned back briefly to look at the two women, still resting peacefully as Weiss regained her energy from the traumatic memory. “Rest well, you two. Many more trials lie ahead.” Turning her back on them, she tore a hole in reality with a swipe of her arm, and stepped through it, disappearing from the dusty wasteland.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As this piece was 'requested', and the AU created from their mind, it may be a while before a second chapter is made. But they have stated interest in continuing this project, so keep your eyes open!
> 
> And for everyone else, would you like to see the next chapter of Stealing the Rich, or Surprise, Surprise?


End file.
